Hi everyone, I have a general question on the Data policy and the difference between what is going to be publicy available to anyone through the alert streams and what the data rights holders are going to receive as additional information while the survey progresses.
More into detail, will Prompt data processing products (mainly DiaSources, DiaObjects and associated forced photometry tables) be available on the Rubin Science Platform “on-the-fly” or do we have to wait for the internal data releases? Will we also have immediate access to the images, or do we have to rely on cutouts provided with the alert package?
I was trying to find an updated document with this information, but I did not find it.
In the future, once Prompt Processing and Alert Production is running at full fidelty, the Prompt Products Database (PPDB; DiaSource, DiaObject, and associated tables for forced photometry and moving object) will be updated within 24 hours (i.e., new table rows become available within 24 hours). The Prompt-processed images have an 80-hour embargo, and then they become available. In this context, “become available” means become available to data rights holders via the Rubin Science Platform. It’s worth noting here that since the contents of the PPDB are the same as the alert contents, the contents are public (can be shared), but access to the RSP is limited to data rights holders.
At timescales shorter than 24 hours (or 80 hours for the full images), indeed everyone must rely on the alert packet contents.
I think the best citation for this is the “Rubin Data Products (Abridged)” document:
A reminder that during Rubin’s Early Science Program, access to images and the PPDB may not be immediately available (rtn-011.lsst.io, Section 4).
I think that answers all your questions so I’m going to mark this as the solution but as always, please do reply if this wasn’t what you were looking for?